BankThink

A recent conversation with a stranger illustrated the challenge that vexes credit unions a century after they were founded. What are they? Can I join? Where do I find one?

You might think that bank robberies would be on the climb during The Great Recession. But so far, that hasn't been the case.

While many credit unions acknowledge they need to proactively stay in touch with members, they are not able to do it because of bad contact data. To stay efficient and effective with outreach efforts, credit unions need to improve member contact data and ensure the accuracy of communications.

It seems entirely appropriate for one CU CEO that he has been able to cross an item off his "bucket list," since the very concept has been popularized by a movie of the same name.

With the displacement of mortgage brokers as the predominant source of loan originations, credit unions are faced with a unique opportunity to gain market share and keep it.

William Isaac, who led the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. from 1981 to 1985, thinks the panic that gripped financial markets in 2008 and the ensuing recession did not have to happen and that the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which was sold to Congress and the public as essential to calm the markets, actually did more harm than good.

In response to Henry Wirz's May 3 column in Credit Union Journal, "One Option to Consider: No Corporates At All," I agree with his statement that a future without corporates would be a bad thing. But I disagree with his view that smaller corporates, because of their size, provide less value to credit unions.

Ignoring new technological tools only limits the opportunities to operate with maximum efficiency, and therefore increases the likelihood that if a CU weathers the current financial storm, it will by no means be a viable competitor when the market stabilizes.

For credit unions in need of submitting HMDA data immediately, the following tips could greatly increase their chances of avoiding hefty fines and penalties.

Cleaning out the notebook: CU perspectives from the Best Practices in Retail Financial Services Symposium; Ludwig on what he would do if he were a bank manager today; and more.